Living the Simple Life in Rural Newfoundland

halibut

Fresh cod poached in a super flavorful, delicious, slightly spicy tomato broth made with fresh tomatoes and herbs! A quick and easy dish to add to your weekly menu rotation! A healthy “ONE DISH DINNER” ready in 35 minutes! Serve with some warm crusty bread to make it a meal and to sop up all that tasty broth!

I’m Back!!! It’s been a really really long time since I’ve posted anything but I haven’t been inspired to write. Life is busy, especially with it being summer~ lots of yard work, working in the garden and greenhouse and of course, fishing! The weather has been perfect and the cod have finally arrived on the shores of Trinity Bay! Today for lunch, I made this amazing dish, Cod in Spicy Tomato Broth ~ did I say it was AMAZING!!!

Super simple, very healthy, gluten free and made with fresh tomatoes and herbs from your garden. I used cod but you could use any flaky white fish like haddock or tilapia. The broth has a bit of spice to it from the red pepper flakes and is so flavorful! I used cherry tomatoes but you could use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, just coarsely chop them.

Set a large frying pan, with a cover, over medium heat. Add oilive oil until it is heated then add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 10 seconds ~ careful you don’t burn the garlic. Add the tomatoes, water, and herbs and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for 10 more minutes to let broth reduce slightly. Taste broth and season with salt if needed. Place cod in broth and season cod with salt. Cover and cook on medium low until fish is flaky ~ 8 to 10 minutes. Put 1 – 2 pieces of cod in serving bowl and add tomato broth. Garnish with more basil if desired. Enjoy! I served mine with some warm crusty bread to sop up all that amazing broth!

NOTE: This does not reheat well so only make enough for one meal! You can make the broth ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two and then just reheat and add your cod to cook and simmer. Lunch will be ready in 10 minutes!

The annual “Newfoundland Food Fishery” has begun and Newfoundlanders are hitting the seas to catch some cod. We wait for this all year! Eating as much cod as we can, sharing with friends and family, and stocking our freezers for the winter. And I have to tell ya, there is NOTHING better than cod fresh out of the ocean ~ you can taste the sea on it, it’s super moist, tender, flaky ~ The BEST!

A lot of people I know either pan fry it with a light batter or deep fry it in a nice beer batter but here is a another great option for cooking up that cod (or any white fish you have on hand) baked “Fish Tacos with Roasted Pepper Salsa”.

The SALSA! The SALSA! The SALSA! is soooo goooood! It is so fresh, super flavorful with the sweetness from the peppers and the tanginess from the lemon perfectly compliments the BAKED fish. A light recipe without a lot of fat, carbs or calories so feel free to have seconds 🙂 The fish also has a little sprinkle of cheddar cheese and that little bit of creaminess and saltiness is AMAZING ~ do not leave it out! If you are living a low carb lifestyle, just have the fish, cheese, and salsa. It’s delicious either way.

Fish Tacos with Roasted Pepper Salsa

“A BAKED Fish Taco that is so healthy, tasty and melt in your mouth DELICIOUS with a salsa made from peppers, red onion, cilantro and lemon…. Taco Tuesdays just got soooo much better!”

Ingredients:

Red Pepper Salsa:

1 TBSP olive oil

1 red pepper, seeds removed and quartered

1 yellow or orange pepper, seeds removed and quartered

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 red onion, sliced into rings

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

2 TBSP lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Fish Tacos:

1 lb cod fillets (halibut, haddock, etc) cut into large pieces

2 TBSP olive Oil

1 tsp chili Powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups Romaine Lettuce, roughly chopped

8 – 10 Small tortilla or taco shells

1 cup cup cheddar cheese, shredded (old or sharp is best)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees ~ you could also BBQ fish and peppers on medium high.

For Roasted Pepper Salsa:

Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and using a pastry brush lightly brush both sides of peppers and onions with olive oil. Lay vegetables on cookie sheet. Put vegetables in the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Turn vegetables over and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool, dice cooked peppers and onions and add to a small bowl, add chopped jalapeno, cilantro and lemon juice. Stir to mix and lightly season with salt and pepper. Set aside and prepare fish.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and chili powder. Pat fish dry and with a pastry brush, lightly brush both sides of the fish with the oil mixture. Lay seasoned cod on cooling racks. Season lightly with salt and pepper (optional)

Cook in oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Heat tortillas in a frying pan over medium high heat until warmed. Remove from frying pan, to warmed tortillas add some chopped romaine lettuce, top with some baked cod and cheese, add roasted pepper salsa. Enjoy!

Hi There!
Welcome to "Around the Bay with DD ~ Take a second and check out what I'm cooking from my kitchen in beautiful Trinity Bay, Newfoundland Canada! Since I'm also an avid amateur gardener and photographer you might find some posts with fresh from the garden inspiration and also some photos of a beautiful province I am proud to call home. Stay awhile and explore! DD